The Australian Climate Roundtable unites business, environmental and social groups in calling for a strong climate policy. This unprecedented show of unity might even break down Canberra's climate stalemate.

Millions of workers struggle on the emerging periphery while those at the core enjoy the benefits of stability and skills.
ShutterstockJune 16, 2013

The Fair Work Commission’s recent wage review may have struck an increased pay deal for low-paid workers but its decision overlooks the growth of a worrying new divide in the Australian workforce. With…

Should we continue to increase the minimum wage, or are there more effective ways to protect low income earners?
Image sourced from www.shutterstock.comMay 29, 2013

Shortly the Fair Work Commission will announce their decision on the minimum wage for 2013. This will be based on its own research and balancing the claims of employers, unions and others. The ACTU is…

ACTU secretary Dave Oliver has called on the government to increase the minimum wage to combat growing income inequality in Australia.
AAPMarch 28, 2013

The recent Four Corners documentary on poverty in the United States is a salutary reminder of why the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) needs to hold the line on minimum wages in relation to average…

Casual workers can often feel as though they are being treated as a commodity by their employers.
katiemarinascottJuly 25, 2012

Welcome to the Future of Work, a series from The Conversation that looks at the ongoing evolution of the workplace. Today, Monash University’s Veronica Sheen examines the consequences of the increasing…

Equal pay is not the only obstacle women face in the labour market: there’s also higher unemployment, underemployment, and heightened risk of job insecurity.
VictorJune 6, 2012

The quest for equal pay between men and women represents one of the oldest battle lines for feminism. The Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA) finds that women’s wages are now 17.4…

Joe Hockey has long extolled the virtues of hard work and the capacity for businesses to remain globally competitive, but an increasingly casualised workforce is exacerbating a divide between secure and insecure workers.
AAPMay 17, 2012

The ACTU released the report Lives on hold: unlocking the potential of Australia’s workforce summing up the findings of its six month inquiry into insecure employment chaired by Brian Howe at its Congress…

Long-term job insecurity affects the quality of life for many women.
vlimaMarch 20, 2012

The ACTU is escalating a push through its case with Fair Work Australia to improve the wages of apprentices, many of whom are paid below the poverty line. There is a case for this and it is long overdue…